Marine Farming Association

03/09/2026

Our latest quarterly newsletter is out now. Featuring the winners of the MFA Annual Awards, spat with hairy hobbit feet (it's a real thing!), success stories from the Blue Horizon programme, and more....
https://www.marinefarming.co.nz/blog/post/169628/mfa-newsletter--september-2026/

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Click to download our latest newsletter - featuring the MFA Annual Award winners and photos from our conference last month!

30/08/2026

Next Wave is a regular event series for people early in their blue economy journey. Hosted by Moananui and Young Fish New Zealand. The next event is this Wednesday (2 September), held at Blue House Innovation Hub.
Register here: https://7c1sfh.share-ap1.hsforms.com/2mEIZnlAhSX6S5cdSTM0KgQ

27/08/2026

We want to thank everyone who joined us for our AGM, Conference and Annual Awards Dinner in Nelson on the 14th. It was an incredible event and wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors, our fantastic speakers, and all the attendees who helped make the day such a success.

Keep an eye out for photos and details of all the award winners in our next newsletter, out next week.

Award photos by the incredible www.brantadamphotography.nz

27/07/2026

If you're out on the water, or cleaning a beach and see 3 or more dead birds together - please don't touch them.
Contact MPI on 0800 809 966 or https://report.mpi.govt.nz/pest/ ASAP

Is the bird sick? Is the bird dead? Don't touch it! Just like MC Hammer said, "You can't touch this!" FWIW, I hope you sang that in your head as we did.

But seriously, if you spot three or more sick or dead birds together, the best thing you can do is leave them alone - don't touch them!

- Keep yourself, tamariki, and pets away
- Make a note of the location and or take a photo
- Report it to MPI on 0800 809 966 or https://report.mpi.govt.nz/pest/

Bird flu (avian influenza) mainly affects wild and domestic birds. While the risk to people is considered low, reporting suspected cases helps protect our wildlife, poultry and communities.

06/07/2026

30/06/2026

It was great to be back at the Future of Work careers event in Marlborough, and even better to share a stall with New Zealand King Salmon this year. Events like this are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the marine farming industry and the people who make it what it is.

From working on the water to roles in science, engineering, environmental management, technology, logistics and business, aquaculture offers a wide range of career pathways for all kinds of learners and skill sets.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by for a chat. We hope to see some of you working in our industry in the future!

18/06/2026

12/06/2026

Great to have the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, at the Marine Farming Association office today to discuss future opportunities for marine farming in the region. The Top of the South is the powerhouse of aquaculture for New Zealand. We have so much untapped potential to grow our high value mussels, salmon and oysters. It’s great to have the support of an energized Government who recognise the ability of the sector to provide export and employment growth for the region, and New Zealand.

14/04/2026

This weekend!! The Pool Sharks are a talented group of kids from Bohally Intermediate School in Blenheim who are prepping for an amazing opportunity to show off their skills in the United States of America. In 2025 they competed in the NZ Aquabot competition and were proud winners of their class and have now been invited to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the International SeaPerch Challenge in May.

SeaPerch is an underwater robotics competition where students design and build a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and complete engineering challenges such as inspecting underwater structures, removing debris after storms, relocating wildlife and testing water quality. The programme helps young people learn practical engineering skills including design, buoyancy, electrical systems and teamwork and they are busy fundraising to get to the USA.

If your organization can help support the team, please get in touch with us at MFA, or with Bohally Intermediate School and we'll connect you with their team rep.

Get a team together for a fantastic cause! Let's help the Pool Shark Aquabots get to the USA 🤗

02/03/2026

We can't wait to see you there!!